On Wednesday, Iran celebrated the 36th anniversary of the seizure of the US embassy in Tehran with state-sponsored protests that drew thousands of Iranians who chanted Death to America and burned American flags. 36 years ago, Iranian students stormed the US embassy and took 52 Americans hostage for 444 days, causing a rupture in US-Iranian diplomatic relations. The protests on Wednesday were held outside the building where the US embassy used to stand. President Hassan Rouhani lauded the Iranian students responsible for the hostage crisis and declared, “The US embassy takeover formed the foundation of the country's independence and fight against the arrogant powers by Iran." Iranian protesters issued a resolution at the end of their rallies, condemning the US for creating and supporting terrorist groups, including ISIS.

Administration officials and analysts in favor of the Iran deal hoped that increased integration with the international community would moderate Iran and lead to improved US-Iranian relations. Instead, there has been a backlash against America in Iran. Iran recently convicted Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, who has been held by the regime longer than the American hostages in 1979. Iran has also arrested two businessmen with ties to America who were visiting Tehran. There are now a total of six US persons detained or missing in Iran. The backlash has also manifested itself in arrests of journalists, activists, and poets.

At the rally on Tuesday, Iran’s State Prosecutor Ebrahim Raeisi announced, "Under no circumstances will we allow penetration of Americans in economic, social and cultural areas, " which echoed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s comments in August, “We waste no efforts to shut ways of infiltration into the country. We'll allow neither economic, nor political, nor cultural intrusion of US.” Khamenei’s top advisor Ali Akbar Velayati also recently declared, "Iran will not cooperate directly or indirectly with the United States," in the fight against ISIS.

Two bipartisan resolutions, one condemning incitement by the Palestinian Authority against Israel and the other raising concerns about anti-Semitism in Europe, passed unanimously in the United States House of Representatives this week. The resolution condemning Palestinian incitement was sponsored by Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R – Fla.) and Ted Deutch (D – Fla.), The Times of Israel reported Wednesday. On Tuesday, The Hill reported that the House unanimously passed a resolution calling on Europe to fight anti-Semitism and provide more security for its Jewish population.

On Tuesday, The Hill reported that the House unanimously passed a resolution calling on Europe to fight anti-Semitism and provide more security for its Jewish population.

Rep. Ed Royce (R – Calif.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said, “The slaughter of these people, their persecution, leaves for humanity the thought: Have we learned nothing from the Holocaust? European leaders must unequivocally send this message to their people and act to provide greater protection for their Jewish citizens.”

Terror against Israelis and anti-Semitic attacks around the world must not be met with silence from the international community, and the two resolutions the House passed this week reflect the need to speak out and make clear where our nation stands.

Much work remains in the fight to root out hatred against Jews in their ancient homeland or in their diaspora communities. Nothing can ever justify the murder of innocents or the spreading of fear among peaceful communities.

I will continue supporting measures like those the House approved this week to make it unambiguously clear that a bipartisan majority in Congress stands united in solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people against violence, hatred, and terror.

In October, the House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously approved a resolution condemning the PA and President Mahmoud Abbas, “for praising the killers of Israelis as “heroes,” for labeling Jews a “contaminating” presence on the Temple Mount (Haram al-Sharif) and for encouraging bloodletting in Jerusalem.”

According to Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the emergency medical service Magen David Adom reported that Palestinians have carried out 58 stabbings, 5 shootings, and 7 car ramming attacks between October 1 – November 2. These attacks, which various Israeli securityexperts and Palestinian activists have attributed to incitement, have claimed the lives of eleven people and wounded 158. (via TheTower.org)

Actor Ashton Kutcher and talent manager Guy Oseary’s venture capital firm, Sound Ventures, has announced an investment in the Israeli Moovit transit app. Moovit, which dubs itself as the top transit app in the world with service in over 700 cities, says it will use this investment to advance its growth in promising markets like India and China. “We’re extremely proud to have Sound Ventures behind us as we continue to grow rapidly,” said Nir Erez, CEO of Moovit. “Investments like these help us to bring more public transit options to markets in need, like India and China, as well as to continue to strengthen our active community of editors around the world.” Sound Ventures launched at SXSW in Austin, TX in March of this year. The company has invested in numerous other successful technology companies, including Airbnb, Uber, Spotify, Houzz and Zenefits. Moovit says it is expecting to launch three more cities in India before the end of the year and is now also publicly launching four cities in China: Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing. (via Israel21c)